Softball 3/30/2012 11:46:00 PM SUU Strategic Communication

Thunderbirds Split with Kangaroos

CEDAR CITY, Utah - March 30 - Southern Utah University softball split with the UMKC Kangaroos on Friday afternoon, falling 5-2 in game one only to come back and win game two, 5-3. The split gives the Thunderbirds an overall record of 19-14 and a 7-4 mark in league play, keeping a lead over the Kangaroos with an overall mark of 14-17 and 3-5 in the Summit League.

Southern Utah opened with the lead in game one, threatening in the first and second with a triple by Kelsey Bryant and a double by Terysa Dyer, respectively, before finally breaking through in the third. Tessa Loewen tallied a one-out single and was followed by Mikkel Griffin who drew a walk. The duo was driven home two batters later when Madison Resley drilled a single through the right side of the infield that rolled all the way to the outfield fence.

UMKC answered the runs in the fourth, scoring two on a bizarre play where the SUU defense seemed to throw the ball all over the diamond with each toss being inaccurate. The play looked like double-play material as Tessa Loewen caught a line drive, but then threw the ball off the player's helmet at first and then rifled the ball over third. The Kangaroos scored their final run on a wild pitch.

Southern Utah had runners on base in both the fourth and fifth inning, but couldn't get the hit that scored any runs. UMKC then added two more runs in the top of the sixth, scoring its only earned run of the contest on an RBI double and then making the most of a throwing error later in the inning, stretching the lead to 5-2.

Loewen collected a one-out double in the seventh, but was unable to advance any farther as UMKC wrapped up the victory with the final outs of the game.

SUU starter Heather Black suffered the loss in the circle, despite allowing only one earned run, throwing 7.0 innings with five runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Black returned later in the day to record the save in the T-Birds 5-3 victory over UMKC in game two. The Lancaster, Calif. native threw 2.0 innings where she didn't allow a hit and only gave up one walk with one strikeout.

The lead changed hands three times in game two as Southern Utah took a lead only to see UMKC come back and tie the game. The Thunderbirds opened the contest with a run in the bottom of the first as Bryant and Dyer collected a single and RBI double, respectively, with two outs on the board.

The Kangaroos tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second, capitalizing on one of three errors during the game committed by the SUU defense. Southern Utah answered with a home run off the bat of Haylee Hoch in the home half of the inning to retake the lead, 2-1.

UMKC took its first lead of the game with a run in both the third and fourth innings with another SUU error coming into play in the third and on an RBI single in the fourth. The Thunderbirds then tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with Dyer kick-starting the offense with a lead-off triple down the right field line. She came home one batter later as Madison Resley placed a base hit into shallow center.

SUU broke the 3-3 deadlock in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of RBI doubles by Bryant and Resley, scoring Griffin and Dyer, respectively. The lead held through the rest of the game, despite a bases-loaded threat by UMKC in the sixth and Kangaroo runners on first and second in the seventh.

The two teams will wrap up the three-game series tomorrow with the series finale scheduled for Noon at Kathryn Berg Field. Fans can listen to the game live on Power 91 (FM 91.1 or power91radio.com) and watch the game via a live stat link that is anticipated to be available online at www.suutbirds.com.

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